'What if' we all were like Harris Rosen?

The Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center in Maitland will host its 27th annual Dinner of Tribute on at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 30, at the Rosen Plaza Hotel.

This year's honoree, Harris Rosen, president and COO of Rosen Hotels and Resorts, is well-known not only as a successful businessman but also as a highly-regarded philanthropist. His activities-ranging from support for the Tangelo Park neighborhood in Orlando, to planning an innovative housing project in Haiti, to his generous contributions to build the Jack & Lee Rosen Southwest Jewish Community Center Campus-have earned him a special place in the Jewish community.

"We are delighted that Mr. Rosen accepted our invitation to be honored," said Jeff Miller, Holocaust Center board president. "His efforts to help create a more just, more accepting community resonate so well with our mission."

According to Miller, throughout the dinner attendees will be asked to think about "What If?"

"It's an intriguing question when you talk about philanthropy," Miller said. "What if our community hadn't been blessed by Harris Rosen? What if he had chosen another career, or another community, or another set of priorities? And that leads to another list of questions. What if each of us put an emphasis on responding to the needs of others, much as Harris Rosen has done? What if, throughout history, more people thought about ways to enrich our community and repair our world?"

Michael Andrew & The Atomic Big Band will perform at this year's event. Known for their retro big band sound and mix of vocals and entertainment, the group will carry out the "what if" theme, playing music that might have been lost if it weren't for fate and the helping hands that allowed European composers and musicians to immigrate and thrive.